The University of Hawaii at Manoa will break ground in early 2025 on a major capital improvement project to foster collaboration, engagement, and community on its Honolulu campus. The first phase comprises the construction of the five-story, 77,575-sf Interdisciplinary Learning Facility. On the first two floors, the academic building will feature 16 classrooms of various sizes available for all departments and programs.
The New York Center for Research, Economic Advancement, Technology, Engineering, and Science (NY CREATES) is constructing the $614 million NanoFab Reflection (NFR) facility in Albany, N.Y. Representing an expansion of the existing Albany NanoTech Complex, the four-story, 310,000-sf R&D building will feature a 50,000-sf ISO 5 cleanroom, complemented by approximately 50,000 sf of non-clean sub-fab space.
The University of Salford is planning to construct a world-class facility for the Acoustics Department’s teaching, research, and commercial activities on the Peel Park campus in the United Kingdom. Furthering the institution's global reputation for acoustics and sound engineering, the purpose-built facility will feature environments that meet the highest technical specifications and measurement standards. Flexible instructional spaces will be complemented by sophisticated labs and research venues to support one of the largest acoustics research groups in the world.
The University of Kansas is planning to begin construction in summer of 2026 on the Makers' KUbe in the heart of its Lawrence campus. The School of Architecture & Design will occupy the $120 million facility and collaborated on its design with Bjarke Ingels Group, BNIM, and StructureCraft. Showcasing timber tectonics, traditional joinery, and sustainable materials, the 50,000-sf facility will act as a living curriculum with exposed structural and MEP systems.
New York City Football Club broke ground in December 2024 on Etihad Park in the Willets Point neighborhood of Queens. Designed by HOK, the 24,851-seat development will be the first fully-electric stadium in the nation and the first professional soccer-specific stadium in New York. New York City FC will pay approximately $780 million in building costs for the privately financed project, which is slated for completion in early 2027.
Construction has begun on the College of the Desert's $268 million campus in Palm Springs, Calif. Designed by WRNS Studio, this regional hub for education and innovation will provide dry labs, maker spaces, and studios for architecture, recording, and film. With multiple buildings spanning 27 acres, the 175,000-sf complex features The Accelerator, a two-story structure accommodating programs in digital media and arts, healthcare, and architecture.
The University of Pennsylvania opened the $173 million Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science & Technology in December of 2024 in Philadelphia. Designed by Behnisch Architekten, the seven-story building accommodates the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER), an undergraduate dual-degree initiative run jointly by the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Siemens Mobility will begin construction in early 2025 on a £100 million innovation center for rail infrastructure in Chippenham, U.K. Designed by Arup and AHR, the digitally enabled complex will provide world-class R&D labs for the creation of novel transit solutions. Integrated research, testing, and factory environments will accelerate the production of the next generation of signaling and control systems for the United Kingdom.
Western Washington University opened Kaiser Borsari Hall in Bellingham in December of 2024. Designed by Perkins&Will, the $73.6 million building offers dynamic settings for growing programs in computer science, electrical engineering, and energy science and technology. Active learning classrooms foster student interaction and discovery, accompanied by teaching and research labs, breakout areas, a multicultural student lounge, and a collaborative commons.
The University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre finished construction in November of 2024 on an open-access innovation facility for aerospace R&D in the United Kingdom. Expanding the capabilities of the adjacent Factory 2050, the 29,700-sf structure will initially house the Composites at Speed and Scale (COMPASS) initiative. An expansive factory environment will enable academic, government, and industry partners to work side-by-side, complemented by individual workshops and ancillary spaces.
Leggat McCall Properties and DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners opened a 370,000-rsf life sciences building at Boynton Yards in Somerville in November of 2024. Strategically sited less than a mile from Kendall Square, 808 Windsor was designed by ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge as a catalyst for biomedical and pharmaceutical innovation. JLL Capital Markets arranged $246 million in construction financing for the project with capital partner Deutsche Finance America.
Missouri University of Science and Technology is planning to construct the Bioplex, a $130 million facility for advanced research and education in life sciences, biomedicine, and biomedical engineering. ZGF Architects is partnering with Christner Architects to design the 128,000-gsf structure, which represents the final phase of the Havener Arrival Complex. The multidisciplinary building will provide lab environments for 24 research teams, including wet bench labs and associated support spaces, as well as an ABSL-2 vivarium.
Construction began in November of 2024 on the Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre (ASEC) in Moncton, New Brunswick. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects in association with EXP, the adaptive reuse project will transform the existing Gulf Fisheries Centre into a four-story complex equipped with leading-edge laboratories and technologies.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) broke ground in October of 2024 on a $120 million facility for the School of Social Work. Designed by Ballinger, this dynamic hub will consolidate activities previously dispersed in numerous locations, as well as accommodating the Master of Social Work and Doctor of Philosophy programs. Modern learning environments that prioritize equity, accessibility, and inclusivity will equip the next generation of changemakers to create new solutions for key societal challenges.
Case Western Reserve University celebrated the official groundbreaking of the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building (ISEB) in October of 2024 in Cleveland. Designed by HGA in partnership with local firm DVA Architecture, the 189,000-sf facility will collocate more than 60 principal investigators from the School of Medicine, the School of Engineering, and the College of Arts and Sciences. The $300 million structure will offer both wet and dry labs, a shared core lab, and advanced technology platforms.
